Postprandial improvement of gastric dysrhythmias in patients with type II diabetes - Identification of responders and nonresponders

Using the technique known as electrogastrography, we studied the postprandi al response of gastric myoelectrial activity in subjects with type II diabe tes. Seventy-one subjects with type II diabetes underwent 1 hr of fasting e lectrogastrography recording. HbAlc and fasting serum glucose levels were o btained, Subjects then underwent an additional 2 hr of electrogastrography recording in the post prandial state. Sixty of the 71 patients (85%) had ga stric rhythm abnormalities in the fasting state. Forty-six of 71 subjects ( 65%) responded to the test meal by improving their electrogastrography trac ings (responders) while 35% did not respond (nonresponders), The time spent in bradygastria during the fasting state by responders was 26.3 +/- 12.8% vs 10.9 +/- 8.5% for nonresponders (P < 0.0001). The percent tachygastria d uring the fasting state in responders was 19.8 <plus/minus> 13.0%, which wa s less than nonresponders (38.3 +/- 29.7%) (P < 0,001), Fasting plasma gluc ose and HbAlc could not be used to predict the gastric myoelectrical respon se to meal. In conclusion, gastric rhythm disturbances are common in type I I diabetes; there was no correlation between HbAlc levels, age, duration of diabetes, or fasting serum glucose and gastric dysrhythmia in response to meal, two groups of subjects emerged: those who became less dysrhythmic in the post pradial state (responders) and those who did not (non-responders); and fasting bradygastria was associated with responders and fasting tachyg astria was associated with nonresponders.